Just how different are Trump and Kim’s diplomacy styles?

World Today

This combination of two file photos shows U.S. President Donald Trump, left, speaking in the State Dining Room of the White House, in Washington on Feb. 26, 2018, and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un attending in the party congress in Pyongyang, DPRK on May 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Wong Maye-E, File)

Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un are two very different leaders in two very different states. At the very least, that’s how it seems on the surface. As they prepare to meet in Singapore, the world is trying to predict how well they’ll interact.

CGTN’s Nathan King looks at how their styles and personalities will shape the historic summit.

Trump is more than a name: it’s a brand. The young Donald Trump was never far from the cameras, newspaper headlines and gossip columns. In contrast, little to nothing was known about Kim Jong Un until he assumed power.

Since assuming office, Kim has become a young dynamic leader that seems to be changing the DPRK. He was fast-testing more missiles and nuclear weapons, presiding over an economic boom in Pyongyang.

Despite his youth and relative inexperience, Kim was reportedly well-informed on every major issue during his meetings with his South Korean counterpart.

Trump is nearly twice Kim’s age and could never be accused of paying too much attention to detail. Some analysts are drawing parallels between the two, arguing it’s possible that these two leaders will click.

“They have some very similar traits. They have similar backgrounds, to the point where if they got in a room together I think they would get along quite well. If the U.S. allows Trump to be Trump and he goes in with his dealmaker mode I think there is stuff that could be done and a relationship that could be built that could set us down a diplomatic path,” Jenny Town, Managing Editor of 38 North.

Both leaders have also shown flexibility, discarding last year’s personal attacks and nuclear threats to engage this year in delicate diplomacy.

Both Trump and Kim, however, seem to get their own way in their respective nations. Compromise may not come easily for either of these men. Even so, a chance to make history might prove irresistible enough to persuade them to compromise and break decades of distrust.

Stephen Pomper talks about possible outcomes for the Trump-Kim summit

CGTN’s Susan Roberts spoke to Stephen Pomper for insight into what to expect from the historic Trump-Kim Summit in Singapore. Pomper is the Director of the U.S. Program for the International Crisis Group. He also served on the National Security Council as Special Assistant to President Obama.

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